After months of research, advising appointments, wading through paperwork, emailing dozens of people, and turning in forms, my study abroad experience is official.
I will be spending next semester studying at Leiden University in the Netherlands. The semester runs from Feb-June, and I will be spending extra time on either end exploring Europe. Everyone has advice to offer. There are endless resources I have been trying to look through. The truth is, I will never be prepared enough. The beauty of travel is the ambiguity and the unexpected. I am hoping to make Leiden feel like a home away from home, and use it as a jumping off point to explore other cities. I am mentally going through my possessions, sorting out what I need and won't need: laptop (check), my favorite books (don't make the cut), my array of shoes (seeking out the magical all-in-one pair- comfortable walking boots, waterproof, semi-stylish), photo frames, extra bags and jackets... nope. It is somewhat liberating to try to streamline.
I've been so bogged down in the paperwork that it is only just now sinking in that I only have a few more weeks on campus before I move home for winter break, and then leave for 5-6 months. The longest I have been away from home was 9 weeks this summer in New York City- long enough to have felt settled in, just long enough to be ready to come home.
While I have general ideas of what my classes will be like, I honestly have no idea of what to expect. I am excited to meet new people and to learn in a new environment. I am excited to network within the dance scene, and take classes taught from an entirely new perspective. It is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on finishing up my classes for the end of the semester... only two more weeks to get through, then I can focus fully on my trip!
